The gear that stands between you and what's in the room
Plain explainers on respirators, eye protection, gowns, gloves and infection prevention — written for the people who put it on at the start of a 12-hour shift and never think about it again until something goes wrong. No jargon, no sales pitch, just what actually keeps you safe.
Why we made this hub
Feed The Line started by pairing local restaurants with hospitals during the pandemic, feeding the people who never got to leave the floor. The meals were the easy part. The harder thing we kept hearing was that the protection itself — what to wear, how it's rated, why a good seal matters more than a fancy label — was buried in spec sheets and procurement language nobody on shift has time to read.
So this is a translation layer, not a rule book. We point you to the official guidance — CDC, WHO, OSHA, NIOSH and the NHS — and explain it in the language of the loading dock and the break room. Nothing here is medical or purchasing advice. It's a starting point so the right questions get asked before the box is opened.
The four areas, in plain terms
Each one is its own deep dive. Read the one you need today; the others will keep.
Choosing masks & respirators
Surgical mask vs. N95 vs. elastomeric — what each actually does, why a NIOSH N95 filters at least 95% of the hardest-to-catch 0.3-micron particles, and why none of it matters without a proper seal and fit check.
Read the guideFace shields & eye protection
Splashes and aerosols don't only travel to your lungs. Goggles, face shields and when each one belongs in the kit — plus why a shield is a complement to a respirator, not a substitute for one.
Read the guideGowns, gloves & scrubs
The AAMI PB70 gown levels (1 to 4) decoded — from minimal-risk cover gowns to the Level 4 garments tested against viral penetration. Where glove choice, double-gloving and scrub hygiene fit in.
Read the guideInfection prevention guidelines
The habits that do the quiet heavy lifting: the WHO 5 Moments for hand hygiene, standard vs. transmission-based precautions, and the donning/doffing order that keeps contamination off your skin.
Read the guideA quick start-of-shift gut check
Not a substitute for your unit's protocol — just the things worth a five-second glance before you're moving too fast to stop.
Right respirator, real seal
Wearing the respirator your task calls for, and you've done a user seal check — air shouldn't leak around the edges. Filtration efficiency means nothing without a tight fit.
Gown level matches the risk
Routine care and a Level 1–2 gown is one thing; an arterial draw, the ED or a fluid-heavy procedure is another. Know which AAMI level the moment needs.
Eye protection on hand
Goggles or a face shield within reach for any splash or aerosol-generating task — not on the shelf across the room.
Hand hygiene supplies stocked
Alcohol-based rub at the point of care, sinks working. The WHO 5 Moments only happen if the rub is where your hands already are.
A doffing plan
Know the order you'll take it off in before you put it on. Most self-contamination happens at the end, not the start.
Nobody trained me on the spec sheets. I learned which gown was which the hard way, halfway through a bad night in the ED. A page like this two years ago would've saved me the scare.
Questions we hear a lot
Is an N95 really better than a surgical mask?
They do different jobs. A surgical mask is mainly a fluid and droplet barrier; a NIOSH-approved N95 is a respirator that filters at least 95% of airborne particles around 0.3 microns — the size hardest to catch — but only when it's sealed to your face. Fit and a seal check matter as much as the rating. For anything respiratory or aerosol-generating, follow your facility's policy and CDC/NIOSH guidance.
What do the AAMI gown levels actually mean?
ANSI/AAMI PB70 rates a gown's liquid-barrier protection in the critical zones from Level 1 (minimal risk, basic care) up to Level 4 (high risk, long fluid-intense procedures). Only Level 4 gowns are tested for viral penetration using ASTM F1671, so only they're treated as impermeable to viruses carried in fluid. Match the level to the task, not to whatever's nearest.
Why does everyone keep talking about hand hygiene if we have gloves?
Gloves aren't a replacement for clean hands — pathogens get on skin during donning and doffing, and gloves can fail. The WHO 'My 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene' framework marks the points around each patient contact where cleaning your hands actually breaks transmission. It's the cheapest, highest-impact protection there is.
Does Feed The Line sell any of this?
No. We're a grassroots support resource, not a shop. We don't sell PPE and we don't take a cut from anyone who does. Everything here points back to official guidance from bodies like the CDC, WHO, OSHA, NIOSH and the NHS so you can decide for yourself.
Protection is only half the job
Keeping the line standing takes more than gear. See the rest of how we support frontline teams — comfort, rest, and the people we're here for.